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AFC Cup 2015

Hong Kong clubs also take part in the annual AFC Cup, the second highest inter-club competition among Asian football federations and quasi the equivalent to the UEFA Europe League. Recently, the champion of the Hong Kong Premier League is also allowed to participate in the Asian Champions League qualification (the highest Asian inter-club competition in which Japan, China, Korea and Australia are represented among others), but until now no Hong Kong club has succeeded to qualify.

As champion of Hong Kong’s 1st Division (at that time still the top tier) Kitchee entered the second of three qualification rounds for the AFC Asian Champions League (ACL). The play-off was one-legged and hosted by the club with the FA’s higher AFC ranking.

10 Feb 2015 – Chonburi (THA) 4:1 Kitchee (HKG)

If Kitchee would have won against Chonburi they would have faced Kashiwa Reysol (JAP) in the final qualification round, which eventually beat Chonburi 3-2 after extra time and qualified for the ACL. As loser, Kitchee progressed to the AFC Cup. In the case of a successful ACL qualification Sun Pegasus would have inherited Kitchee’s AFC Cup spot.